1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to garments intended to support the breast of a user and particularly of a nursing mother to allow nursing of an infant, exterior cup covers opening from the sides of the garment and being drawn toward the center of the garment enabling access to the interior of the bra to allow nursing of an infant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nursing garments have long been known in the art and have taken a number of forms including the form of a brassiere or other garment having a portion thereof which functions essentially as a brassiere, such garments including foundation garments such as slips or the like and exterior garments including blouses, swimwear, etc. A nursing bra or garment differs from a brassiere in that provision is made in the structure of a nursing garment to displace structure covering one or both breasts of a user of the garment to allow nursing by an infant.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,677, White discloses a nursing bra which is pulled open from the center of the garment toward the underarm area. Since that portion of the bra of White which normally covers each breast of a user is disconnected substantially centrally of the bra and pulled in a sidewise direction to uncover the breast for nursing, the infant would typically be held centrally of the body of the user of the bra with the infant""s head turned toward the breast which is to be used to nurse the infant. That portion of the bra normally covering the breast would then lie back toward the underarm area of the user. Cradling the infant in a more natural manner in the crook of the arm is thus rendered difficult with the White bra since the portion of the bra pulled toward the underarm area would effectively lie between the infant and the breast which is to be used for nursing. White, however, is an example of one of the few nursing bras or garments which does not open in a downward direction such as from the middle of the cup of a bra or the top of such a cup. A substantial percentage of nursing bras open from the top of each cup, the cup disconnecting from the body of the bra at a location near the top of the bra and then being pulled downwardly to expose the breast which is to be used for nursing. Even though most nursing bras open in this manner, it is to be seen that an infant held centrally of the mother""s body or in the crook of her arm will be positioned such that those portions of the cup which are pulled downwardly to expose the user""s breast will lie in a position which interferes with desirable communication between the infant and the breast of the nursing mother. Other nursing bras and garments are shown by Turner et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,273; Eggen, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,086 and Witczak, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,725. In the nursing bras and garments shown in these three patents, portions of the bra essentially acting as cups and covering the breast of a user are detached from locations centrally of the cups with major portions of the cup material being pulled downwardly for nursing.
Although not a nursing bra or garment, Garutso, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,424, discloses a brassiere having cup portions which are releasably fastened to body portions of the garments along lower and side portions of said cups. The cups of Garutso are intended to be adjusted by virtue of this releasable fastening to accommodate breasts of differing sizes such that the cup portions of Garutso will fit a number of users having differing breast dimensions. Garutso does not provide a nursing bra or nursing garment which intends to function in a manner which will allow a folding away of cup portions of the bra or garment to facilitate nursing by an infant in the most natural manner, that is, when the infant is held within the crook of an arm of the nursing mother. The art has thus not been provided with a nursing bra or garment having fastening elements at locations of each bra cup on lateral sides of the cup such that the bra or garment can be opened for nursing in a direction from the underarm area toward the center of the bra cup with material forming the bra cup then being folded toward the center of the garment and away from obstructing relation between the infant""s head and the breast of the nursing mother. The present invention provides this advantage as well as other advantages when the total structure of a bra or garment configured according to the best mode of the invention is disclosed hereinafter.
The invention provides a nursing bra or other form of nursing garment wherein at least a portion of the garment functions substantially in the manner of a bra and further facilitates nursing of an infant in a particularly natural position when the infant is held in the arms of a nursing mother. Such a garment typically includes a body-encircling foundation having strap-like elements which connect to each other in a conventional manner behind the user""s back. The invention can also be provided in bras which hook in the front. Shoulder straps may also be provided to stabilize the garment on the body of a user. The foundation of the nursing bra or garment is typically open at locations where the garment covers the breast of a user, these locations being covered by cup covers which are attached to the foundation about the openings and which can be opened with the material of the cup being moved away from the opening to allow access to the breast of a user for nursing.
At least a portion of each of the cups about the periphery thereof can be permanently attached such as by sewing to portions of the foundation centrally thereof and in the front of the foundation to cause inwardly disposed peripheral portions of the cups to be fixed in place according to the teachings of the present invention. Fastening elements, such as loop and pile fasteners which include fastening elements known commonly as VELCRO, attach lowermost peripheral portions of each of the cups and usually some side portion thereof which may be continuous with fastening elements along the lower portion of the cups to allow ready disconnection of the cup at a certain point, typically where the fastening elements terminate, to allow the cup to be opened for nursing in a direction from the underarm area toward the center of the bra cup. Certain peripheral portions of each of the bra cups, typically about 25% of the total peripheral dimension, and extending from termination of the fastening elements to the beginning of the fixed periphery, facilitates disconnection of the cup from the foundation of the garment with the cup being moved away toward the center of the garment. It is to be understood that the fastening elements could extend about substantially the full periphery of the cup or that portion of the periphery of the cup which is not fixed to the garment foundation as aforesaid.
Unfastening of the cup from the garment foundation to expose the breast of a user is seen to expose interior cups having central apertures formed therein, the interior cups providing a covering function even when the exterior cup is opened and pulled away while still retaining the ability to access the breast of a user for nursing.
As an option, a covering band of soft material disposed adjacent to the peripheral portions of each cup lie substantially over peripheral edges of the cup when the cup is in place covering the breast of a user. When the cup is pulled away to expose the breast of a user, the band of material is displaced outwardly but can be pressed back inwardly over the portion of the loop and pile fastener which remains on the foundation of the garment about portions of the opening normally covered by the external cup. The band of soft material prevents contact between the face of the nursing infant and that portion of the fastening elements which remain on the foundation of the garment, thereby improving the comfort of the infant.
A further option encompassed by the invention includes provision of a pocket in the cups of the bra, these pockets receiving pads which inter alia increase comfort. Straps of the bra can be configured with an appropriate conventional clasp to easily receive slip-on padding which reduces discomfort associated with straps xe2x80x9cbitingxe2x80x9d into portions of the user""s shoulders.
It is accordingly a primary object of the invention to provide a nursing bra or nursing garment having exterior cup elements normally covering the breast of a user and being releasably fastened to the garments about at least portions of openings in the garment through which the breast of a user extend, fastening elements at locations of the exterior cups on lateral sides of the cups being disconnected so that the bra can be opened for nursing in a direction from the underarm area of a user toward the center of the respective cup.
It is another object of the invention to provide a nursing bra or garment having interior cups exposed on opening of the exterior cup, the interior cup having a central opening formed therein to facilitate nursing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a nursing bra or garment having fastening elements provided about at least a portion of the periphery of exterior cups to hold said cups in place on a foundation of the garment, a band of relatively soft material being provided adjacent the periphery of the cup at those portions thereof where fastening elements are provided so that the band of relatively soft material can be pressed over exposed portions of the fastening elements joined to the foundation of the garment when the exterior cup is moved away from a position normally covering the breast of a user.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a pocket in each bra cup for receipt of a shaped pad therein to increase a user""s comfort.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide padding capable of being slipped onto straps of the present bras to increase a user""s comfort and/or to absorb lacteal discharge.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.